VF Corp. has made a “significant donation” to the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) to settle a dispute related to an apparel line The North Face marketed in Canada during the Winter Games in Sochi.
“VF Outdoor Canada Co have recently come to mutually agreeable terms concerning litigation regarding The North Face brand of products called the ‘Villagewear Collection’ sold in 2014,” VF said in a statement issued Wednesday as part of the settlement.
The statement continued, “During the 2014 Winter Olympics, The North Face brand was an official sponsor of the U.S. Freeskiing Team and designed and manufactured the team’s uniforms, but it was not a sponsor or licensee of the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association, or of Team Canada. However, some Canadian consumers may have mistakenly believed The North Face’s sponsorship went beyond the U.S. Freeskiing Team, and we regret if that was the case. VF Outdoor Canada and its The North Face brand deeply respect the Canadian Olympic Committee and the valuable work it does to support Canadian athletes at all levels of sport and as a result, we are proud to make a significant donation to the Canadian Olympic Foundation.”
